Charles Taylor trial weekly summaries (January 19 - 23, 2009)
By Mariama Khai Fornah and Joseph Cheeseman reporting from The Hague
January 19, 2009
After a week of direct and cross-examinations by both Prosecution and Defence, Liberian Journalist Hassan Bility has ended his testimonies against Former President Charles Taylor in The Hague. The Defence Team said that Mr. Taylor had special preference for members of the Mandingo ethnic group in Liberia. Taylor’s Defence Lawyer, Courtenay Griffiths, traced what he called Mr. Taylor’s traditional marriage and the sponsorship of Muslim pilgrims to Saudi Arabia as evidence of the Former Liberian Leader’s love for Mandingos. Joseph Cheeseman reports.
Click here to listen to Joseph Cheeseman's report (January 19, 2009)
January 20, 2009
As the Prosecution is drawing closer to the end of their own side of the case, they have presented a witness who is in charge of all documents of evidence. The Legal Team representing the Former Liberian President has consistently denied that their client has had any involvement in the decade long Sierra Leone conflict. Mr. Malik Tuesday testified to documents presented to the prosecution by the Liberian Judiciary. But the Defence of Charles Taylor objected to the admission of all of the Prosecution documents testified to in court on Tuesday. Mariama Khai Fornah has the details.
Click here to listen to Mariama Khai Fornah's report (January 20, 2009)
January 21 and 22, 2009
The court sat in closed session
January 23, 2009
The court does not sit on Fridays